Auxiliary turbine and pump for combustion chambers



Aug. 1*,1951 2,563,025

AUXILIARY TURBINE AND PUMP FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBERS R. H..GODDARD Fil ed March 11, 1947 hw rlrnul pil I) 'll vexwr' Patented Aug. 7, 1951 Y TURBINE AND PUMP FOB COMBUSTION CHAMBERS Robert H. Goddard, deceased, late of Annapolis,

MIL, by Esther C. Goddard, executrix, Worcester, Mass., assignor of one-halt to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 11, 1947, Serial No. 733,824

1 Claim. (Oi. Gil-35.6)

1 This invention relates to combustion chambers adapted for propulsion and having a rearward discharge nozzle.

It is the general object of this invention to I provide an improved construction in which a portion of the gases discharged from the combustion chamber are utilized to drive an auxiliary turbine and one or more centrifugal pumps or other devices associated therewith. These pumps may act as feed pumps for the combustion chamber may be used for other desired purposes.

To the accomplishment of this general object. anauxiliary turbine "is rotatably mounted on the discharge nozzle for coaxial rotation relative thereto and is provided with an annular series oi."

turbine blades. Each of these blades projects radially inward for engagement by the gas stream, but only in the outer and cooler peripheral portion thereof.

The invention further relates to. arrangements and combinations of parts which will be herein- 2 (Fig. 3) to discharge pipes 2|. plied through the pipes l8 and delivered through I the discharge pipes 2| may be used for any deslred purposes.

The sleeve II' is extended beyond the nozzle N and supports the turbine T, whichcomprises a plurality of curved blades 3|, the inner ends of which project a short distance radially inward after described and more particularly pointed outv in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of a portion of beyond the rear edge oi. the nozzle N.

The blades 80 are engaged by the outer portion of the stream or discharging combustion gases and the turbine is thus rotated to provide power for the pumps P and P or for any other purpose. As all of the blades are at all times engaged by the gas stream and accordingly ar at all times active, only'the extreme outer or peripheral portion of the gas stream need be utilized. This outer portion is the coolest portion of the gas stream and also travels at the slowest speed, both being items of distinct advantage.

II the pumps P and P are used to feed combustion liquids to the associated combustion chamber, it is necessary to provide means for starting the pumps before the chamber is in operation, and for this purpose an outer series of blades la is provided, to which compressed air Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view, looking in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, a portion of. the discharge nozzle N of a combustion chamber i shown in section, together with centrifugal pumps P and P and an auxiliary turbine T.

Each pump includes an impeller comprising curved blades l0 (Fig. 3) mounted on a ring -orsleevell. Thesleeve H is supported by antiiriction bearings ll (Fig. 1), which in turn are supported by the fixed nozzle N. v

A casing l8 encloses the impellers ll and may may be supplied through one or more nozzles ll. This use of compressed air is required only until the combustion chamber is in eflective operation and only until combustion gases are being dis- .charged in substantial volume through the nozzle N.

The pumps P and B may obviously be used for other purposes than feeding combustion liquids to an associated chamber, and other devices besides centriiugal pumps may rec'eive power from the rotated sleeve 1 l.

be secured to the nozzle N by clamping bolts ll.

Having thus described the invention and the advantages thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the .details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what is claimed is: v

I In combustion apparatus having a non-rotated discharge nozzle for combustion gases, in combination, a cylindrical sleeve mounted to rotate freely on said nozzle and having a portion extending outward beyond said nozzle, bearings for said sleeve on said non-rotated nozzle, a plurality of turbine blades internally mounted on said outwardly extending portion and projecting a rela- The liquids sup- A 3 tively short distance only within the outer end of for said pump mounted on said rotating sleeve 5 and within said nonrotated nozzle, and supply and discharge connections to said pump casing.

131mm 6. GODDARD,

Executria: of the Last Will and Testament of 10 Robert H. Goddard, Deceased.

4 nmmczs crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,049,213 Dresser Dec. 31, 1912 2,283,863 Achterman May 19, 1942 2,395,114 Goddard Feb. 19, 1946 2,395,403 Goddard Feb. 26, 1946 2.455345 1 Wells Dec. '7, 1918 

